Romans 1:16-17 Part 8
I Peter 1:10-12
“Time is only a fleeting incident of Eternity”
Having seen Peter’s emphasis on the Eternal context of our present day salvation, we want to conclude with his emphasis on the origin and preparation of our salvation in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is like a thirty nine page birth announcement!
I Peter 1:10 Peter speaks of the “prophetic longing” in the OT.(Job 9:32-35 Notice, “Of this salvation (Vs 3-9) the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the Grace that would come to you.” Vs 11 The prophets were searching out the what and the when, of the SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND THE GLORIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW.”
And this was hundreds and in some cases thousands of years before the birth of The Christ! And the prophets weren’t just “groping in the dark” as we are tempted to think. No, Peter continues, “The Spirit of Christ Who was in them was indicating (#1213 to make plain by words, declare, show, to signify) when He Testified beforehand.” Peter again affirms this in II Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God (chosen and set apart for this task) spoke as they were moved (#5342 to bear, to carry, to be borne along, as in this text) by the Holy Spirit.
Peter’s words are a devastating indictment upon the scandalous ignorance of the Old Testament in our day. Oh, much time may be spent in “bible surveys” dealing with the history and background of the OT, but little is made of the purpose of all the prophets, or all of the OT for that matter, prophecy of the what and the when of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow!!!” If Peter is right, and most assuredly he is, the problem is not with the Holy Spirit’s Revelation through the prophets, the problem is with the hearers and readers. We are like Thomas, to whom our Lord said, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” The same unbelief that blinded the Israelites throughout the OT clouds our eyes when we read the OT. John 6:29 “This is the Work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has Sent.”
A prophetic overview of the Old Testament:
This is nothing more than a “flyover” of the Sacred Land of Prophecy. May it be a “springboard” for plunging into the Water Of Life flowing through the pages of the OT!!!
Genesis 3:15 The Seed Promise: “The Biblical history of humanity is one long account of the unceasing hostility and relentless antagonism between the “Seed of the woman” and the “serpent”–the devil.” Archibald Hughes
Genesis 9:11-17 God’s Covenant Bow in the sky, creations promise of complete restoration.
Genesis 15:1-6 God’s “Seed Covenant” given to Abram and with it, the birth of “Justification by faith!!!
Genesis 49:8-12 The coming of Shiloh.
Exodus - Deuteronomy These books give a 3D shadow portrait of the Gospel and the “Grace that should come to you.” (I Peter 1:10)
Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-5 The Ark of the Covenant is like the Ultimate Sonogram!!!
Exodus 31:1-5 Bezaleel was prophetic in every Spirit of God inspired stitch, every carving used to created the tabernacle and it’s furnishings. Bezaleel did Divinely inspired revelatory artwork.
Joshua 5:3-15 Joshua meets the “Commander of the Army of the LORD” and fell on his face and worshiped him. Surely this is a pre-incarnate visitation of the Christ! Note the repeat of Mose’s “ordination”–on his face before God, shoeless on Holy Ground.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses prophesies of the Prophet like unto himself, Who would “come from among the brethren.”
II Samuel 7:12-16 The Davidic Covenant. Consider this coupled with Isa 55:3, the Eternal Covenant, the Sure Mercies of David which Paul in Acts 13:34 attributes to God’s raising Jesus from the dead!!
The Psalms: The Prophetic Voice of the Holy Spirit is throughout the book. Here are just two, howbeit crucial prophecies in the Psalms
Psalm 2 A prophecy of the behavior of “the nations” is set as a warning of the coming judgment of the Son, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way.....”
Psalm 110 This is the prophetic proclamation of the reign of our King/Priest, after the order of Melchizadek at the Right Hand of the LORD.”
Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah is often called the “Gospel of the OT. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His Name Immanuel.” See also 9:6-7; 11:10; all of ch. 53, and so much more!
Jeremiah 30:21 God will raise up a Governor from the midst of the people; 31:31-33:9 The Glorious Everlasting Covenant of the Grace of God is declared. 33:15-16 A Branch of Righteousness will grow up to the house of David and Jerusalem will be called (because of His work) The LORD our Righteousness.
Ezekiel 16:60-63 The Covenant God will “provide you an Atonement for all you have done, says the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 22:30 God’s Prophetic Cry: “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” This lament reminds of Job’s lament in Job 9:32-33 “For He is not a man, as I, that I may answer Him. And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.” Isaiah 9:15-16 uses similar words to prophesy God’s answer to this lament: “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His Own Arm brought salvation for Him and His Own Righteousness, it sustained Him.”
Ezekiel 34:22-27 David is dead and buried and yet we have this beautiful prophecy of God’s Shepherd who will save God’s flock of “weak ones”. This Shepherd shall feed them and protect them–“My Servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and My Servant David a prince among them: I the LORD have spoken.”
Ezekiel 36:24-28 Again a prophecy of the Covenant of Grace with emphasis on God’s restoration of His Great Name from the defilement of Israel’s disobedience. A clear emphasis on the inner change of heart, a new heart through God putting His Holy Spirit in His people. This is the purifying covenant according to Vs 25-29.
Daniel 7:9-14; 9:20-27 Though much misunderstood and perverted, Daniel is full of the coming and triumph of the Everlasting Kingdom of the Most High (7:27). The mysterious 70 weeks of 9:24-27 usher in the One Who finishes our transgressions and makes an end of sin!!! What could be more Glorious!!!
Hosea 13:4 In this prophetic object lesson of God’s love for an adulterous nation, God proclaims His devoted love, “Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no Savior besides Me.”
Joel 2:28-29; 3:18-21 Here is the root of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon His people. This is prophetic of this, the most important post resurrection event in Christian history.
Amos 9:11-12 After David is dead and buried, Amos prophesies the rebuilding of the “tabernacle of David and the bringing in of the Gentiles.
Obadiah 17 In this prophetic condemnation of Edom, Esau’s descendants, we have this brief statement of hope for Israel, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Jonah The entire book testifies to God’s love for the Gentiles, even in the face of Jonah’s bigotry. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus says that Jonah was prophesying Jesus’ resurrection by being in the fishes belly 3 days and 3 nights.
Micah 5:2-8 A most beautiful proclamation of the Eternal Nature of the “Ruler in Israel.”
Nahum 1:15 The One to come proclaims peace.
Habakkuk 2:2-4 The most glorious proclamation that sinners can hear, “The Just shall live buy his faith.” 3:13 “The Anointed is our Salvation.”
Zephaniah 3:8-13 The restoration of “A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” Perhaps this is in anticipation of the “blessed ones” in our Lord’s sermon on the mount at the beginning of His Ingathering!
Haggai 2:6-9 In the face of the humble rebuilt temple overseen by Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest is this prophesy of the Temple of the Desire of All Nations, the final temple of greatest glory. Probably Paul Is thinking of this temple in Ephesians 2:19-22.
Zechariah 6:12-13 Here again is the Temple of the LORD, built and expanded by the “Man whose name is the BRANCH!” Notice in Vs 13, that the BRANCH is a king/priest like Melchizedek. Hebrews leaves the “hearing ear” with no doubt that this is God come in the flesh, the Man Christ Jesus.
Malachi 3:1-3 The messenger who will prepare the way of the Lord (John the Baptist/Matthew 3:3) and the Messenger of the Covenant–The Christ of God. 4:1-3 The rising of The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His Wings.
I Peter 1:12 Peter says the prophets understood in some measure at least, that the fulfillment of what they saw and proclaimed would not be fulfilled in their day. They were like Abraham who dwelled in tents because he was looking for the Eternal City to come whose Builder and Maker is God! (Hebrews 11:9)
Notice” “They were ministering the things which NOW have been reported to you through those who have preached the Gospel to you (the Apostles) BY THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT FROM HEAVEN.” Pay attention!! The same Holy Spirit Who was bearing along the prophets and indicating by their word (Vs 11) is speaking through the Gospel given to the Apostles for us! It is the same message ministered by the Same Spirit–the Eternal Spirit of God.!!!
Why us? Why did He not speak to the Old testament people in this Gospel Clarity? Are we better and more receptive than they? Absolutely not! Paul settles this issue in Romans 2:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin.” Why then us? We are driven back to the Father Whose Will and Purpose is to “in the fullness of times that he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him.” (Ephesians 1:10)
And don’t forget the Angels! This is for their benefit and they are most eager to see the Will of the Father “play out” in our history. (See the previous study under “The Mystery of Godliness–Seen of Angels)
I Peter 1:10-12
“Time is only a fleeting incident of Eternity”
Having seen Peter’s emphasis on the Eternal context of our present day salvation, we want to conclude with his emphasis on the origin and preparation of our salvation in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is like a thirty nine page birth announcement!
I Peter 1:10 Peter speaks of the “prophetic longing” in the OT.(Job 9:32-35 Notice, “Of this salvation (Vs 3-9) the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the Grace that would come to you.” Vs 11 The prophets were searching out the what and the when, of the SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND THE GLORIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW.”
And this was hundreds and in some cases thousands of years before the birth of The Christ! And the prophets weren’t just “groping in the dark” as we are tempted to think. No, Peter continues, “The Spirit of Christ Who was in them was indicating (#1213 to make plain by words, declare, show, to signify) when He Testified beforehand.” Peter again affirms this in II Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God (chosen and set apart for this task) spoke as they were moved (#5342 to bear, to carry, to be borne along, as in this text) by the Holy Spirit.
Peter’s words are a devastating indictment upon the scandalous ignorance of the Old Testament in our day. Oh, much time may be spent in “bible surveys” dealing with the history and background of the OT, but little is made of the purpose of all the prophets, or all of the OT for that matter, prophecy of the what and the when of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow!!!” If Peter is right, and most assuredly he is, the problem is not with the Holy Spirit’s Revelation through the prophets, the problem is with the hearers and readers. We are like Thomas, to whom our Lord said, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” The same unbelief that blinded the Israelites throughout the OT clouds our eyes when we read the OT. John 6:29 “This is the Work of God, that you believe on Him Whom He has Sent.”
A prophetic overview of the Old Testament:
This is nothing more than a “flyover” of the Sacred Land of Prophecy. May it be a “springboard” for plunging into the Water Of Life flowing through the pages of the OT!!!
Genesis 3:15 The Seed Promise: “The Biblical history of humanity is one long account of the unceasing hostility and relentless antagonism between the “Seed of the woman” and the “serpent”–the devil.” Archibald Hughes
Genesis 9:11-17 God’s Covenant Bow in the sky, creations promise of complete restoration.
Genesis 15:1-6 God’s “Seed Covenant” given to Abram and with it, the birth of “Justification by faith!!!
Genesis 49:8-12 The coming of Shiloh.
Exodus - Deuteronomy These books give a 3D shadow portrait of the Gospel and the “Grace that should come to you.” (I Peter 1:10)
Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-5 The Ark of the Covenant is like the Ultimate Sonogram!!!
Exodus 31:1-5 Bezaleel was prophetic in every Spirit of God inspired stitch, every carving used to created the tabernacle and it’s furnishings. Bezaleel did Divinely inspired revelatory artwork.
Joshua 5:3-15 Joshua meets the “Commander of the Army of the LORD” and fell on his face and worshiped him. Surely this is a pre-incarnate visitation of the Christ! Note the repeat of Mose’s “ordination”–on his face before God, shoeless on Holy Ground.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses prophesies of the Prophet like unto himself, Who would “come from among the brethren.”
II Samuel 7:12-16 The Davidic Covenant. Consider this coupled with Isa 55:3, the Eternal Covenant, the Sure Mercies of David which Paul in Acts 13:34 attributes to God’s raising Jesus from the dead!!
The Psalms: The Prophetic Voice of the Holy Spirit is throughout the book. Here are just two, howbeit crucial prophecies in the Psalms
Psalm 2 A prophecy of the behavior of “the nations” is set as a warning of the coming judgment of the Son, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way.....”
Psalm 110 This is the prophetic proclamation of the reign of our King/Priest, after the order of Melchizadek at the Right Hand of the LORD.”
Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah is often called the “Gospel of the OT. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His Name Immanuel.” See also 9:6-7; 11:10; all of ch. 53, and so much more!
Jeremiah 30:21 God will raise up a Governor from the midst of the people; 31:31-33:9 The Glorious Everlasting Covenant of the Grace of God is declared. 33:15-16 A Branch of Righteousness will grow up to the house of David and Jerusalem will be called (because of His work) The LORD our Righteousness.
Ezekiel 16:60-63 The Covenant God will “provide you an Atonement for all you have done, says the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 22:30 God’s Prophetic Cry: “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” This lament reminds of Job’s lament in Job 9:32-33 “For He is not a man, as I, that I may answer Him. And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.” Isaiah 9:15-16 uses similar words to prophesy God’s answer to this lament: “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His Own Arm brought salvation for Him and His Own Righteousness, it sustained Him.”
Ezekiel 34:22-27 David is dead and buried and yet we have this beautiful prophecy of God’s Shepherd who will save God’s flock of “weak ones”. This Shepherd shall feed them and protect them–“My Servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and My Servant David a prince among them: I the LORD have spoken.”
Ezekiel 36:24-28 Again a prophecy of the Covenant of Grace with emphasis on God’s restoration of His Great Name from the defilement of Israel’s disobedience. A clear emphasis on the inner change of heart, a new heart through God putting His Holy Spirit in His people. This is the purifying covenant according to Vs 25-29.
Daniel 7:9-14; 9:20-27 Though much misunderstood and perverted, Daniel is full of the coming and triumph of the Everlasting Kingdom of the Most High (7:27). The mysterious 70 weeks of 9:24-27 usher in the One Who finishes our transgressions and makes an end of sin!!! What could be more Glorious!!!
Hosea 13:4 In this prophetic object lesson of God’s love for an adulterous nation, God proclaims His devoted love, “Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no Savior besides Me.”
Joel 2:28-29; 3:18-21 Here is the root of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon His people. This is prophetic of this, the most important post resurrection event in Christian history.
Amos 9:11-12 After David is dead and buried, Amos prophesies the rebuilding of the “tabernacle of David and the bringing in of the Gentiles.
Obadiah 17 In this prophetic condemnation of Edom, Esau’s descendants, we have this brief statement of hope for Israel, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Jonah The entire book testifies to God’s love for the Gentiles, even in the face of Jonah’s bigotry. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus says that Jonah was prophesying Jesus’ resurrection by being in the fishes belly 3 days and 3 nights.
Micah 5:2-8 A most beautiful proclamation of the Eternal Nature of the “Ruler in Israel.”
Nahum 1:15 The One to come proclaims peace.
Habakkuk 2:2-4 The most glorious proclamation that sinners can hear, “The Just shall live buy his faith.” 3:13 “The Anointed is our Salvation.”
Zephaniah 3:8-13 The restoration of “A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” Perhaps this is in anticipation of the “blessed ones” in our Lord’s sermon on the mount at the beginning of His Ingathering!
Haggai 2:6-9 In the face of the humble rebuilt temple overseen by Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest is this prophesy of the Temple of the Desire of All Nations, the final temple of greatest glory. Probably Paul Is thinking of this temple in Ephesians 2:19-22.
Zechariah 6:12-13 Here again is the Temple of the LORD, built and expanded by the “Man whose name is the BRANCH!” Notice in Vs 13, that the BRANCH is a king/priest like Melchizedek. Hebrews leaves the “hearing ear” with no doubt that this is God come in the flesh, the Man Christ Jesus.
Malachi 3:1-3 The messenger who will prepare the way of the Lord (John the Baptist/Matthew 3:3) and the Messenger of the Covenant–The Christ of God. 4:1-3 The rising of The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His Wings.
I Peter 1:12 Peter says the prophets understood in some measure at least, that the fulfillment of what they saw and proclaimed would not be fulfilled in their day. They were like Abraham who dwelled in tents because he was looking for the Eternal City to come whose Builder and Maker is God! (Hebrews 11:9)
Notice” “They were ministering the things which NOW have been reported to you through those who have preached the Gospel to you (the Apostles) BY THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT FROM HEAVEN.” Pay attention!! The same Holy Spirit Who was bearing along the prophets and indicating by their word (Vs 11) is speaking through the Gospel given to the Apostles for us! It is the same message ministered by the Same Spirit–the Eternal Spirit of God.!!!
Why us? Why did He not speak to the Old testament people in this Gospel Clarity? Are we better and more receptive than they? Absolutely not! Paul settles this issue in Romans 2:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin.” Why then us? We are driven back to the Father Whose Will and Purpose is to “in the fullness of times that he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him.” (Ephesians 1:10)
And don’t forget the Angels! This is for their benefit and they are most eager to see the Will of the Father “play out” in our history. (See the previous study under “The Mystery of Godliness–Seen of Angels)